Falling Slowly
by noellestarr
Summary: Simmons was slowly dying on the inside as she waited for her other half to wake up from a comatose state. And she was not a musician. But somehow, singing to him softly was more personal than any "declaration of love" speech she could have made.


**Hi everyone!**

**This is very obviously my first fanfiction for Agents of Shield and probably my only. I haven't written a fanfic since last year, but there was something about fitzsimmons that I couldn't quite place. The finale didn't give me much closure on either of those characters, and according to my research, the future for Fitz isn't looking so great for next season. This really bums me out, because Fitz is my favorite character, and he never fails to make me laugh. The thought of him waking up with some cheesy version of amnesia next season is really starting to piss me off. And seeing as it is becoming more of a likely possibility, I wrote this. This is my ending for fitzsimmons, with no trace of Fitz forgetting who he is and who Simmons is. Because if that happens in the show, I will truly be crushed. And then, at least I'll have written my own ending to make myself feel a bit better when the inevitable does happen. I do understand that Fitz is bound to have **_**some**_** memory loss, but I don't see why they would have to wipe his slate completely clean. That bothers me. So anyway, I realize this fanfic may not be great because I've never written for this archive before, and I'm not familiar with sciency-terminology, (in fact I left it out completely), but I hope you enjoy my story nonetheless! **

**Also, the movie referenced is called Once, and it's a musical about an Irishman and a Czech immigrant who meet and play music together. It was turned into a Broadway musical, and the music is truly amazing! I would definitely recommend renting the film. The song Jemma mentions is titled, "Falling Slowly," and I would suggest listening to it before if not while reading this…just for the sake of the story making more sense to you. **

**I don't own Agents of Shield, Once, or Falling Slowly. Enjoy! **

_Beep...beep...beep._

Jemma Simmons frowned and glanced up at the clock.

_Tick...tick...tick._

She shut her eyes tight and rubbed her temples with her forefingers. It was too quiet. Quiet enough, that she could hear every sound she never wanted to. The beeping of the electrocardiogram reminding her that her long-time partner was just barley alive. Barely. The ticking of the clock, measuring the amount of time her partner continued to remain motionless. Telling her that he wasn't strong enough. That he should've woken up by now.

No.

Jemma shook her head and swallowed as she shifted her view to the hospital bed next to her wobbly plastic chair. The man lying next to her wasn't her best friend. He was simply an empty shell, awaiting the spirit yet to return to its rightful home. His curls were the only thing that brought her back to the reality that the man adjacent from her was in fact Leo Fitz.

"Leo," She murmured softy, reaching out to the bed. But she never actually touched him. She wouldn't go so far as to feel his cold, lifeless skin on her shaking hand. Instead, she traced patterns on his sheets. Jemma would draw anything from meaningless swirls to phrases or words that actually had meaning. Such as "I love you too."

She didn't usually call him Leo. Actually, she never did. It just wasn't something that he would put up with. The first day she laid eyes on his friendly face and knowing smirk he had introduced himself as, "Leopold... AKA Leo...but never actually call me either of those...it's just Fitz...please." And she honored that.

But there was something personal about first names that she couldn't quite place. As his lifeless form lay next to her very alive one, she couldn't quite bring herself to call him Fitz, like she would if it was any other normal day.

Normal wasn't an option for them anymore.

Normal was chucked out the door the day she and Fitz accepted Agent Coulson's invitation to the field.

Normal was studying for finals last minute at Sci-Tech. Normal was staying up late talking about silly things like the monkey apocalypse. Normal was working in the lab alongside her favorite Scotsman. Normal was watching movies on the weekends at Fitz's apartment. Movies like Once, her and Fitz's all time favorite movie that they stumbled upon their sophomore year at Sci-Tech. She had never been a musical person, and neither had Fitz. Especially not Fitz. But they enjoyed it nonetheless and cried like children every time. Because, truly, how often do you meet the right person?

_Once._

They loved how the entire movie both of them never realized that the main characters didn't have names.

It made the film seem strikingly truthful, and real.

They joked around that they were each other's "Once's," platonically, to entertain others' notions that they were more than friends.

She had always told Fitz that the Irishman reminded her of him. Fitz was also kind of a hard-ass. But he had a heart of gold, (no pun intended), and the right people were able to see right through his veil of awkward banter and stiffness.

Fitz didn't like being compared to the Irishman.

Fitz always liked to compare her to the Czech immigrant, because he believed she was as, if not more curious and pushy than her.

Jemma didn't like being compared to the Czech immigrant.

But nevertheless, it was a common interest that they both loved.

Jemma laughed out loud at herself. It wasn't like her to become so enveloped in her thoughts, but she couldn't help it. Anything to distract her from the fact that Fitz is hanging onto words that were never said.

I love you too.

How hard was it to say? Four simple words. She believed that the "I love you" craze was overrated. The real concern should be saying it back. Because she had never thought it'd be this difficult.

And now he'd never know.

She was dumb, distracted, and blinded by sacrifice. What if he woke up with retrograde amnesia with no recollection of his underwater confession? It was a dark possibility, considering the brain damage he was bound to have experienced after going so long without oxygen.

Her worst fear. "Excuse me, who are you?" Every nightmare she had ended with those words. She would wake up sweating, crying, and wishing she was back in that pod. That she could do it all over again.

Because Fitz deserved more than what he got.

Fitz deserved to love more than what he did.

A tear that escaped one of her dark brown eyes brought her back to reality as she quickly wiped it away.

She was no musician.

But she had read somewhere that comatose patients could sometimes hear what was being said outside their dark realities, and in that moment she was banking on that hope.

"I don't know you

But I want you

All the more for that,"

She let a small smile escape her lips and without thinking she reached for his hand, the first time she'd touched him since the pod, approximately two weeks ago.

"Words fall through me

And always fool me

And I can't react,"

She almost spoke the lyrics, they fell out as her own.

"And games that never amount

To more than they're meant

Will play themselves out,"

She began to trace pattern on his palm, just as she had done on the bead spread all this time.

"Take this sinking boat and point it home

We've still got time

Raise your hopeful voice you have a choice

You'll make it now

Falling slowly, eyes that know me

And I can't go back

Moods that take me and erase me

And I'm painted black

You have suffered enough

And warred with yourself

It's time that you won,"

Tears began to roll down her cheeks but she didn't remove her hand from his to wipe them.

"Take this sinking boat and point it home

We've still got time-"

Suddenly, she was cut off by an increase of beeping on the monitor, and she gasped as Fitz literally snapped back into reality. In his striking blue eyes she sensed confusion and a hint of relief. She stood up quickly and yelled for a doctor, which was unnecessary because they were already charging in before she even opened her mouth. She tuned her head back towards Fitz, who was still staring at her, eyes wide, even as the team of doctors surrounded him. She held her breath.

"A-are ya' gonna finish?" He managed weakly and his face fell into the infamous smirk she previously mentioned.

"Oh, Leo," She let out somewhat of a sob and ran back to him, covering her mouth.

Once she composed herself in his familiar gaze, coincidently the same once he had given her before he pressed that button, she began again.

"Raise your hopeful voice you have a choice

You've made it now

Falling slowly sing your melody

And I'll sing along."

She more or less coughed the words out then sang them, but it was enough for him. And it was enough for her. Not a minute later he was out of consciousness once again, but knowing everything the doctors told her, there was nowhere for Fitz's recovery to go but up.

He had made his choice.

He chose to come back to her.

And this proved to her what she had somehow always known, that maybe you don't meet the right person only once. Maybe you grow up with them. Maybe you become their best friend and nothing more for years.

This wasn't her first time meeting Fitz.

It was her second.

She was seeing him through a whole new perspective and she quite liked what the future was hoping to bring.

She wasn't just "more than that."

_He_ was more than that.

And to that melody, she was ready to sing along.

**That's all! Please review and let me know your thoughts. And don't forget to go watch the movie Once! Wow… this fall cannot come soon enough! I need AoS in my life again(:**


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